


Pyrope

by MadokaFan1234



Category: Sing (2016)
Genre: M/M, e - Freeform, elana yours is here, gem au, hahah it's midnight and I'm up bein gay, i am still standingg, posts this, runs, shoutout to imstillstanding, so is yours leia, while Jackson is still gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-21 03:05:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9529055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadokaFan1234/pseuds/MadokaFan1234
Summary: Pyrope. That's what they called him.





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sadmondays](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadmondays/gifts).



> me: I should go to sleep
> 
> also me: hey who wants to read my fanfiction

It was a normal day in Moon Theatre. And by normal, I mean searching for runaway gems and fighting dangerous monsters normal. So yeah, normal.

"Okay, here's the plan," Buster had laid down a blueprinted map of the island. It had been confirmed that other gems resided--some regular and some corrupted. The Theatre Gems took it on their behalf to find them and give them a tour of the new world they would reside. Today was day one.

"Rosita and Gunter," he pointed to the dynamic duo, ready to work. "Will search the perimeter," he pointed to the outside part of the map.

"On it!~" Rosita whistled, and the two exited the building. 

"Okay, Mike-"

"ALAMANDINE!" The white rat had interrupted, preferring his 'real' name.

With a roll of the eyes, Buster continued. "Right, Almandine and I will search the front," he marked half of the map in a purple pen. 

"And Ash, Meena, and Johnny-JOHNNY!" He snapped his fingers in the onyx's face. The other gems had looked up at their name, but Johnny had seemed dazed. He immediately looked up at the snap of Buster's fingers, though.

"R-Right! Sorry, Mr. Moon," he apologized, abruptly at attention.

"...will search the backside," Buster finished, marking the latter half of the map. "Okay, see you guys in about five hours!" He chirped.

The teams broke--Almandine and Buster on one half, Ash, Meena, and Johnny on the other-- on a search for refugees and monsters. 

The three teens were walking to the back of the island, making small talk once in a while. 

"Who do you think we'll meet?" Meena began the conversation, surprisingly. Curious as always, she looked around the surroundings, as this had been one of the few times she's seen beyond the city.

Ash shrugged. "Who knows...maybe we'll meet another sard!" She exclaimed, punching the air in excitement. Her team had been made out of sards, and losing them had been quite...something, so it would be amazing if they got a sard. 

"What about you, Johnny?" Meena asked. Without a response, she turned to make sure the gorilla was actually walking with them. He was, but he was staring off into space, not noticing anyting.

"Hey, Johnny!" Ash yelled his name into his ear. The onyx gorilla immediately looked over to the elephant and the porcupine, both sharing a confused face. It wasn't exactly like Johnny to be distracted. "Wow, twice in a row--is something up, Johnny?"

He hesitated. Ash and Meena exchanged a look themselves, thinking it was something too personal. They knew a bit of his father and the gang, and how Johnny always seemed to reflect on them from time to time. 

He just kept on walking in silence for a few moments, before deciding to spill what was on his mind, to their surprise. 

"Guys, what do you think they must feel?" With a deep sigh, he asked his question. "The runaway gems, I mean," he added on, hoping he didn't confuse them.

"Like, do ya think 'ere afraid of earth? They come here and they'll find us, trying to get them to come to who knows where?" He talked on, wondering himself the answer to his question. "I dunno...my father used 'ta say 'Earth looked scary.' He had no idea what the Diamond would do with it. So I was terrified when I arrived 'ere."

Once he finished, all Meena and Ash did was blink. And once again, silence filled the air. Silent reflection, mostly. The three walked further to their destination, unspeaking.

"Hey," Ash was the first to break the silence. "At least you have us..."

Her thought was cut off by a bitter scream in the direction of the back. The three immediately raised their weapons and ran further into the distance, hoping to find the source.

Well, it turned out it wasn't a source, but sources. The three had made it to an abandoned patch of sand and rocks to see three animate shadows. The first was a ruby bird, angrily fighting off a pack of monsters with her sword. The next was a peridot cat, quickly looking through her files for a solution to a problem. 

The last one took Johnny's eye--a meek, red raccoon, swinging a staff in terror at the monsters. He obviously didn't know what he was doing, he just needed to survive. He seemed less confident than the other two, that's for sure. 

Meena looked over at Ash, who got her message. She attempted to approach the three with peace, but as she stepped out, she accidentally knocked over a boulder. The three had fled the premises like deer from a predator, all in different directions. 

"Go!" Ash commanded. "And don't hurt them!" 

The three flocked from their position and each chased after a gem. Ash steered her direction to the bird, Meena to the cat, and Johnny made his way to the raccoon.

Johnny chased the raccoon all over the area. They was faster than him, but were less subtle. Once in a while, Johnny would get off the track, then see a blur of red or a crinkle of rocks and be back on track. 

While running after them, Johnny reflected on his own question. And it seems like he was right, because this raccoon seemed terrified. But it was going to be okay soon, he would give them comfort and they would be apart of the team, along with their two friends.

He eventually cornered the raccoon behind a boulder. As he approached them, he noticed that they were desperately clawing for a way out, before backing up against the wall, quivering in fear.

"Listen," Johnny began, hoping to calm the scared raccoon down. "I don't wanna hurt 'ya-"

"I-I'm not scared of you..." The raccoon whispered, voice shaking. Johnny looked in confusion, to where the raccoon pointed to the looming monster behind him. He turned around, and immediately summoned his microphone. 

Johnny sprinted into battle, weapon in hand, trying to rope the monster and keep it under control. From the corner of his eye. He could see that the raccoon was trying to help as well, also summoning his weapon and trying to fight alongside him. At first, it seemed that he was only doing small, unnoticeable damage, and Johnny had hoped that he wouldn't get hurt.

Until he saw the huge staff that whacked the monster aside.

Johnny looked over to the raccoon, still quavering in fear. But this time, he bared an expression of wonder, looking down at his weapon. Johnny flashed a thumbs-up at the raccoon. The wonder only lasted for a second when the monster raised back up, roaring in rage. 

Now, the two decided to work in battle. The red stranger would try to knock them aside, and Johnny would keep them under control. It worked decently enough, they were getting damage done. They could read each others' actions, from a quick swipe to a narrow dodge, and they would protect each other. It seemed like this raccoon was slowly getting used to battle, as his expression of terror dissolved into thought, finding a way to fight the monster, Johnny took note of.

Johnny remembered a few things from that battle; the plans of attack they made in mind, the the smiles of encouragement he would give to the young fella, confidence the raccoon had slowly raised up...

But the thing both would remember, however, was when the monster ended up tumbling behind the raccoon, to where they loomed over him, ready to attack. All the raccoon could do was freeze in fear as he turned around and faced the horrific sight.

"NO!" In a state of panic, Johnny had leapt into the raccoon, hoping to shield him from the impact. But his plan was oddly interrupted by....something.

The next time he opened his eyes, he felt something else. Something....resonating inside him that he couldn't muster out. He was feeling an odd cluster of feelings--fear, panic, wonder, curiosity.

Discovery.

"Pyrope," was the first word that escaped his--their--voice. Woah. They were a fusion. Woah, WOAH.

The next thing that escaped their mouth was a chuckle. It dissolved into laughter, confident laughter. The fusion summoned their weapon, a pair of nun-chucks, and proceeded to fight the monster.

They were stronger as a fusion. Quicker. Better. Closer. They dodged every one of the monster's attacks, doing damage to it at every opportunity. For a moment, they read each other's thoughts. They understood their plan. They understood each other. 

"You see, monster," a voice, slightly two-toned, but still one, had escaped their mind. They were speaking as one. "The trick to fighting is simple," a firm, yet proud and confident voice.

"You must be graceful-," they declared, dodging another hit.

"-focused-," they stated, running behind the monster.

"-powerful-," they professed, striking the monster from behind.

"-and-," they jumped into the air...

"-ONE!" Their proclaim was met by the final blow--a split in the middle by the nun-chucks, causing the monster's gem to fall into place.

Pyrope giggled after battle, before splitting back into the onyx and raccoon. Johnny had gotten back up, but the raccoon was on the ground, in hysterics. 

"Y-Ya need help?" He stretched out his hand, to which the raccoon quickly gripped. He held onto the rest of Johnny for support as his laughter died down, as fusing had taken a bit of a toll on his energy.

"Rhodolite," he mustered a weak whisper. "My name is Rhodolite," and he promptly passed out in Johnny's arms.

Johnny picked the raccoon up, bridal style, and bubbled the gem. He went back to the middle where he saw Ash and Meena with the bird and cat, one of whom was in Ash's custody which was restricting her from attacking them, and the other was sitting on a rock, reading old documents.

Ah, the more, the merrier.


	2. Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodolite questions fusion--and what he felt about it.

Rhodolite awoke with a shock. His mind had previously been filled with visions of fusion and whimsy and grace. His last memory was looking falling into his partner's arms.

And that's where he was.

Rhodolite noticed a few things when he woke up. One was that he was under a blanket (these guys were hella polite). The second was that their were other gems in the room, one the Ruby bird he had worked with before he fused, the other an amethyst panda. The two were on the ground, making mild talk.

The third was the fact that he was leaning on an onyx's arm. He visibly moved when he jolted awake, immediately looking into his direction. "Oh, 'ur awake!" He spoke, grinning kindly. This was the other half of Pyrope; a tall, onyx gorilla who protected him when they first met. He was friendly and inviting...why?

"O-Oh...yeah," Rhodolite muttered awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. "What..what happened?"

He laughed. Odd. "We fused...and then you kinda passed out on me. I brought you 'ere, along with your other friends, and now we're all just waiting for Mr. Moon."

This was a runaway gem he was talking to. How was he this comforting?

"Who's...Mr. Moon?" He asked. And as if on instant, the door to the room opened and in came a moonstone koala, clipboard and pen in hands. He said nothing--instead he waved his hand over to the onyx. He just nodded in response, then stood up.

"I guess that's our cue to leave," he turned to the raccoon, bird, and panda, all of whom didn't understand what the koala just did. The bird and panda nodded, getting it, then got up, but Rhodolite was a bit hesitant. What was happening?

He walked out the door, eventually, to see that there have been more gems. Many more gems. There were sapphire snakes, opal oxen, emerald elephants, and so much more. Whispers of confusion and wonder had filled the air, as many didn't know anything about what was happening. It seemed so crowded to the small Rhodolite, hearing so much by so many people... He started breathing faster, feeling he couldn't survive with all the mutters around his head. It felt as if the walls were closing in on him.

He felt a hand placed on his slightly shaking shoulder. He turned to face the onyx who escorted him, looking at him in care. Was..was he worried about him?

"Attention, all!" Buster's voice filled the room as he stood in the front, talking into a microphone. "We will answer all you questions in a moment! Can we just have some silence?" He tried to lower the volume, but it increased in size at his arrival. He motioned his hand off stage, and a sardonyx porcupine entered the stage. She summoned her weapon; a crimson guitar. She proceeded to play a high note, which amplified throughout the room, causing everyone to stop talking at once.

"Good," Buster took note of the silence and proceeded to make his announcement. "Now, we all know that most of this is unknown to you, but we will do our best to inform you on everything we know," he grinned in friendliness, giving off a feeling of inviting comfort. "To keep things short--you were all either homeworld or kindergarten gems, and you have stumbled along this island. My team and I have taken it upon ourselves to give you custody and protection, until you feel safe on this planet.

"For now, just come to us if you have any questions." He finished his speech and walked off the stage. The chaos of voices started again, with many animals rushing towards the team members and asked any and all questions.

In an attempt to block out the sound, Rhodolite had retreated to his mind, hoping to find a cheerful memory. Maybe a memory of his friends--or rather classmates--on homeworld, those who had to look after him after training, his few lessons involving protection and escorting. Anything, anything from his home.

But no, all his mind could think of was fusion. All his mind could produce were memories of discovery and confidence, the feeling of weightlessness as he lifted his weapon and danced as he dodged attacks, working with someone in an equal fight...the feeling of someone else caring about you and working with you.

He wanted to do it again. By Diamond, he really wanted to do it again. It felt so...good, he wants the feeling of goodness and caring once again. But it had been an accident! What are the chances that this onyx would want to fuse again? Fusion has always been said to be used for dire circumstances--they could've died if they didn't fuse! Why would he want to fuse again?

At the thought of the onyx, he looked over at him, who was surrounded by a bunch of animals, spilling out questions at the second. On homeworld, this would be disrespectful. Everything should be orderly! No one was supposed to speak out! And yet, the onyx was laughing and answering their questions in a calm matter. He was patient and kind and helpful...

He was also a runaway gem. How could a runaway gem be this...happy? Could he be happy?

"Rhodolite? That's your name, right?" He looked up at the mention of his gem, pulling him out of his daze. There he was. The onyx gorilla was standing over him, curious. But what was he curious about? The fact that he wasn't asking anything? His silence? What he was thinking about? "Do you have any questions?" He asked.

For a moment, Rhodolite pondered. Yes, he had a million questions...but one really stood out to him. One that he wanted to know so badly. And yet, it was the one question he thought couldn't be answered. Could Onyx...would Onyx answer it?

He took a deep breath. "How do you...how do you....you fuse?"

The onyx looked in a bit of surprise at his question. For a second, Rhodolite got worried. What if he couldn't answer and was left hanging? What if he could answer, but didn't for him? What if...what if he wasn't allowed to be answered?

His string of worries were snapped in half as he heard the gorilla sigh. But looking up at him, he was...happy?

"Meet me here when it's nighttime," he whispered, before going back to a group of animals.

Rhodolite looked in shock. His answer took him for one heck of a surprise. Was he actually going to show him? Or just tell him?

Who knows yet.

~~~

Rhodolite, reluctantly, entered the room where the announcement was held earlier. The new gems had been given permission to roam the theatre, to get a better idea of the layout of their new home. But Rhodolite mostly stayed in his original room, keeping the note of meeting that was given to him early on.

It was dark and quiet. No one was there in the midst of the night. He was all alone, awaiting his meeting.

He heard the door click. Looking in its direction, he saw the onyx enter the room with an odd...earth contraption in hand. He saw Rhodolite's stare and smiled. "Are 'ya ready to fuse?" He asked, bringing a kind smile to his face.

Rhodolite realized what he came here for. He gave a quick nod, then pointed to the unknown object. "What's...that?"

The onyx looked at the item in hand. "Oh, this?" He placed it down on a nearby counter. "It's a record player. Mr. Moon allowed me to borrow it, for the time being."

He placed a disc onto the circle, placing the pin back on it. It emitted an odd sound, filled with weird earth lyrics and strange melodies.

"This is music," the onyx said, before he could even ask. He raised a hand out to Rhodolite. He stepped back, not understanding the command. At first, he was thinking of bailing out. He didn't understand what was going on. But he looked into the onyx's eyes, which paled the feeling of trust.

Taking a breath, Rhodolite took Onyx's hand. He pulled him into a tight posture, where the two were mere inches apart. He took a step back, and he a step forward, following his moves. The two kept that their dance, back and forth, back and forth.

And then, Rhodolite slipped up. The dance had been calm and soft, but they were hardly moving at all. He felt...closer to the onyx this way. In a way, they sort of felt each other, in each moment, in each dance. On a step back, however, Rhodolite tripped, pulling the onyx into a close embrace as he fell. A flash of light appeared in both their ranges of sight, and the two had come together.

And there they were. Once again, Pyrope. And once again, I had been a rush. The feeling of adrenaline and exhilaration filled their--his--mind. They started dancing along to the music, more outwardly this time, swaying their hips and rocking out to the beat. At some parts, they even sang along.

They were dancing together, still. But this time, Rhodolite had let loose for once in his life. Because this was a moment of discovery and fulfillment. Of love and laughs. Of fun.

"Hey, Johnny?" His dancing had come to a brief stop as he heard a voice enter the room. They looked towards the door, and there, it was opening. "Have you seen my-?"

The moonstone's voice had cut off once he saw what--who--was in the room. He looked at Pyrope, who looked back in a mix of fear and embarrassment. Thoughts came rushing into Rhodolite's head. They shouldn't be doing this, they couldn't be doing this, this wasn't right! It was silent for a brief second, before they immediately unfused.

"So...this is why you wanted by record player..." The koala quipped, not knowing what to say in the moment. "I'll just...leave you two alone....and ask Ash..." He exited the room in a quick flee, shutting the door, leaving the two by themselves again.

The two gems looked at the door, then exchanged a glance. This time, they knew what happened. They understood how they felt as a fusion. Powerful, dignified...one. They remembered the experience, and held onto the thought for as long as they could.

"W-Wow..." The onyx broke the silence. "That was a rush, wasn't it?" He chuckled a little, trying to break the mood of awkwardness that harmonized in the raccoon.

He got up easily enough. Rhodolite tried to stand up, but nearly fell back down while doing so, exhausted. The onyx held out his hand, to which Rhodolite took and held onto for the rest of the night. They looked at each other, quiet, unnerving.

"H-Have you..." Rhodolite spoke up, wanting to talk. "Have you done this before, Onyx?" He addressed him by his name, desiring a connection with his fusion partner.

He nodded. "Y-Yeah. I've done it before," he answered. "My name's Johnny, by the way..."

Rhodolite looked up in question. "Johnny?"

He nodded again. "My stage name."

Rhodolite pondered. Wow, this theatre had interesting traditions. A name that you can say for yourself, that you don't use as a way of designation. Something you get to choose...

"Hey...Johnny?" He asked, getting used to the stage name. Johnny looked at the raccoon, listening to his question. "What...what would my stage name be?"

Johnny wondered for a second, then looked at the raccoon. "I kinda like the name 'Jackson' for you..."

The two sat there, alone, in the room. They saw each other through the midnight moonlight, looking over the past events of the day. The two rested on each other for the night, calm and peaceful.

Rhodolite smiled as he leaned on the gorilla's chest. Jackson.

He liked it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The record is probably "Something" by The Beatles


	3. Conversations on the Ledge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson thinks over his feelings for Johnny. Little does he know, only one will be answered.

Jackson counted the days since they fused together. First it was one day and one night. Then another day and another night. Then another. Every day that went by, he made a mark on the wall of his room. It lasted for some time.

There would be some things that distracted him, though. He and many other gems were trained in the theatre, in combat and defense. By then, Johnny had only been a trainer in his eyes.

"Nice one, Rhodolite!" 

He remembered the thumb-ups the onyx would flash when he did damage to the training dummies. All his lessons, all his examples, and all the times his hands brushed up with his, and they held his staff together. 

Also, there were performances. Another thing the Moon Theatre did was put on shows. Surprisingly, a lot of gems wanted to join the stage. Some because they wanted to partake in earth rituals, the others because they just thought it looked "cool".

He just watched, at first. Something about having a bunch of gems giving you their undivided attention when you were a low-class Rhodolite just felt...odd. Most performances had been...oddly entertaining. One of the most unexpected was the Rose Quartz and Citrine (who's stage names were 'Rosita' and 'Gunter', apparently) fusing in their show! 

He remembered watching a show on Homeworld. All the performers had danced in sync, only a few different steps when it came to entering and exiting. But here, it felt like...life. Whenever someone performed, he felt swept into their act, as if he could dance with them!

"When I was six years old, I broke my leg..." 

But he stopped after he saw Johnny's act. Not that it was bad--far from it, actually. The gorilla sang a beautiful melody, giving Jackson a vision of glory and power, as if he could conquer anything. He felt connected to the song, and thought it had only been a dream when it ended. 

It haunted the raccoon's mind from days to come. But another thought also haunted his mind--fusion. From that day, Jackson had felt even more compelled to fuse once again with the gorilla. He didn't just want to believe he was dancing with him--he wanted to feel like he was dancing with him. He wanted to become someone like Johnny; strong, confident, and powerful.

Whenever he thought about the subject, his mind wandered with questions. Was he just using fusion as an excuse to feel strong? Was he using Johnny as an excuse to feel powerful? Did he want to be with him--or did he want to be him? 

And then the questions of fusion turn into questions about his mentor. Did he only see him as a fusing partner? Or did he see him as...something more? Was that something more just a nice trainer, or a friend?

He would look at the Ruby "Audrey" and Amethyst "Rilley", two free-willed gems who chose their own names. How they would toss insults and small attacks at each other...but they still tolerated each other. It was called 'teasing', according to them. Did he want to 'tease' Johnny? 

Then he would see an Almandine with a regular animal, "Diana", giggling and pressing themselves to each other. This was called 'love'...did he love Johnny?

And a final question would spiral his mind; what did he want?

Did he want fusion, a taboo ritual only used in events of danger? Did he want to know Johnny, an onyx who escaped Homeworld so he wouldn't face punishment? Or did he want to go home, and these thoughts were just the poison of earth, like what the Diamonds said? 

All of this thinking would hurt his mind, to where he would stop thinking and count the marks on his wall. One mark, another mark, another mark, and on and on and on.

Then, he would drift off into sleep, to where he would wake up and think about it all over again the next day and night.

\---

Johnny remembered the stories the Diamonds would tell about Earth. How it was a 'vulgar, depressing world'. How the only gems that would go there would either gather information...or be abandoned and left to fend for themselves. How it was stated to be a 'fate worse than death'.

So a chill ran up his spine when he found out his dad's would be sent their to atone for their crimes. He was just an onyx gorilla, working with his three other onyxes. A group of thieves, living off whatever they could steal. Until they stole from a diamond. He remembers the moment when he saved them by taking their pod by himself.

He crashed on earth, was found by Buster Moonstone, and the rest was history.

But that day left a mark in his mind. 

Is this what gems felt like on earth? Terrified of a new world? Would he--could he--ever return? 

He warmed up to the theatre eventually, but the questions always plagued his mind from time to time. 

"I don't wanna hurt ya'."

When he found the rhodolite raccoon, he found the answer to his question. They looked terrified...horrified at the sight of him. At the sight of the monster.

But everything changed when they fused. It felt like...a burst of courage rose between them. He could feel the Rhodolite's passion as they worked together to fight the monster. 

He knew he wanted more. 

"Do you have any questions?" 

He was still shy, but Johnny knew that he wanted to fuse again. He just needed a little push.

And that push turned into a tumble, into which they tumbled back into Pyrope. And just like that, they were a fusion. Like that, the raccoon's worries and frights had been replaced with blind joy and sheer exhilaration as they danced together.

That was the last time they fused. Johnny loved it. He loved feeling the boldness in his heart as he and his partner played in sync with one another. And he loves the feeling of his partner going from anxious to thrilled in a heartbeat.

He didn't know if he should approach him. New questions arose in his mind; did they just see each other as Pyrope? Or were they...connected somehow?

Was that meeting, that fusion, destiny?

Who knows. Whenever he thought about it, he just realized he had to begin training. He had thought about it all night.

\---

"Come on!" Audrey had shook Jackson awake early in the morning. So early, it was still dark. "Let's go!" 

What..what was going on? "R-Ruby-?"

"Audrey, and we've been assigned, guess what, a mission!" Her voice was dripping with excitement. When Jackson got up, he saw his entire 'team' had been woken up as well--the amethyst Rilley, a peridot cat proclaimed to be 'Cassidy,' and a sapphire koala, who chose the name 'Gracie'.

And Johnny. Johnny was there in the room as well. 

"W-Why... is Johnny--" the voice slipped out of his mouth before he could even process it. It seemed to catch his attention, as he saw the onyx look up from where he was waiting. 

"Supervision," Audrey replied right away, still shaking him. "Now, let's go!" She commanded, heading out

Each gem gave out a little battle cry, before following the bird. Jackson was silent when he left. He felt a hand reach to his shoulder. Johnny. He went to turn to him for a second, wondering what he wanted.

"I-I just want ya' ta know...Im here fo' you," he whispered. Was he trying to assure him? Did he care for him? They shared a small gaze, before exiting the theatre as well

Both paused any thoughts they had about themselves and fusion. They were on a mission, there was no time to wonder about useless things. On their way to the battlefield, Jackson decided to avoid him. Avoid any form of connection the two would have, and avoid any thoughts he had of him, or fusion, or power.

He was a Rhodolite on a mission. Focus was the only thing that could save him.

They reached an abandoned desert. Familiar, he thought. It had been a dusty wasteland, where long, tall rocks surrounded the premises. Holes had been drilled into the walls, each of them a symmetrical fit. 

"A kindergarten," he heard Cassidy mutter under her breath. She took out her files and began searching through each of them, trying to locate the exact name for this particular kindergarten.

"Why would Buster send us to a kindergarten?" Audrey asked, searching the ground. "Nothing seems to be wrong here."

"The Carnelian Kindergarten," Cassidy held up a digital file from her gem. "A group of sards were meant to investigate it...but now it's overridden with corrupted gems," she read the explanation. 

"Monsters?!" shrieked Gracie, clinging to Cassidy's leg. 

As the three gems described the situation, thoughts began to fill Jackson's mind. Monsters, corruption, kindergartens. He started planning out attacks, choreographed visions swirling his mind. His plans were diverse, but as long as he followed his training, he would be safe. 

A sudden notion also filled his mind. He looked over to Johnny for a split-second. If they fused...they could defeat the monster.

The thought was only considered for a millisecond, as Audrey's voice scattered his contemplation.

"Well, I think we should split up," she threw an idea into the air.

"Cassidy, you watch over Gracie," she pointed to the two gems, knowing the motherly peridot would watch over the young and scared moonstone. 

"Jackson, Johnny," she paired the two up with a flick of her wing, causing both of their attentions to raise to each other. No...no no no. This was bad.

"I'll take Rilley," she finished her commands with a smile towards her self-assigned partner. Jackson had ran up to her at the mention of his partner, which questioned Audrey. "Jackson, is something wrong?"

"C-Can I have a different...teammate?" He whispered, looking over his back to make sure Johnny wasn't listening. He didn't want to be distracted on a mission that could threaten his life, so he didn't want to be conquered by thoughts of wonder and entrancement. 

"What's wrong with Johnny?" she spoke above the whispered tone, but Jackson shushed her before Johnny could hear. He looked back, and saw that he looked up at the shushing. Shoot, he noticed. Jackson didn't look back at Audrey, as he just stood still for a few moments after catching the gaze of the onyx. 

After a few seconds, the bird just awkwardly tapped Jackson on the shoulder."Um...well I'll just...leave you two to it!" she ran off with the panda, the two starting a determined conversation about catching the monster.

Now, the two were alone. In the middle of the kindergarten. Staring at each other like they did when they first met. After they fused.

"So," Johnny began, breaking the tension between them. "Where do you think the monster is--?"

"Lead the way!" The raccoon interrupted him, just wanting to get this over with. He looked down as he followed the gorilla into the great unknown, with only the thought that they were going alone. Together.

\---

Their journey had been quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were the slight crumble of the ground as they walked.

Johnny led the way, like the leader he was. Jackson followed him in silence, watching the floor as he stepped. It was like this for what seemed like hours. They were getting nowhere. No sign of the monsters, no sign of any leftover gems. Nothing.

"So," Johnny sighed, finding another dead end. "Where do you think the monster is?" No response. He stopped in his tracks, not turning around. "I know you can talk."

Jackson mumbled something, causing him to turn around. He was quiet, but prompted himself to raise his voice. "M-Maybe h-he's..in hiding?" He asked, before mentally scolding himself. He's a monster, why would he be hiding? He could just strike right away.

But his self-chastisement ended when he saw his leader smile. "Okay, so maybe we should check any holes," he said, taking in the raccoon's theory. He scaled the walls onto a kindergarten hole. He took it in. He listened to him.

Wow. "You're a lot nicer than any mentor on homeworld," he thought aloud, before snapping the thought in half. No, he couldn't be praising a runaway gem over the homeworld teachers!...Could he?

"What was that?" Johnny asked, searching a hole. 

"N-Nothing!" Jackson responded, before climbing up the wall as well. The two looked under rocks, over rocks, searching for rocks. And they found some things. Rocks. 

It was a long search, but nothing came out of it. "Well, we found nothing," Johnny whispered, turning over another rock, still nothing.

Jackson sighed. "I knew it," he whispered as well, but it was audible enough for his leader to hear.

"What?"

"I KNEW IT!" Jackson cried out suddenly, punching the rock near him. Not even a crack. "Of course we found nothing!"

Johnny tried to comfort the raccoon. "Hey, hey, it's okay! There are more holes--"

"NO!" He yelled. "This plan was stupid from the start! You're the leader--an onyx!" He pointed to the gorilla. "And I'm just a measly Rhodolite! I can't even break a dumb ROCK!" He slammed his fist back into the stone. Still no cracks. After a few seconds, he looked over to his comrade, who had stepped back and quieted at the outrage. 

Jackson looked down, lowering his voice. "I...I'm sorry for my rage...l-let's just get back to the mission..." Normally, Jackson would expect a similar reprimand. He was not one to give orders, and to disobey or waste the time of an official felt like a felony to him. But there was no scolds, no punishment. Just a question. 

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked, walking over to him. Jackson looked up Ina bit of shock. He repeated his question. "Are you okay?"

Jackson hesitated for a moment, taking in the words. He cared for him. Johnny, the leader, cared for him, the follower. "Why...why do you care?"

He faced the gorilla, who seemed to be...confused at the question. "What do you mean?" Johnny asked. 

Again, he waited a few moments, staring into space. He...cared for him. With a sad sigh, Jackson turned away to face the exit of the hole. "You're my superior," Jackson explained, matter-of-factually. "You have no responsibility over your subjects...especially a Rhodolite," he sat down on the rim of the hole, looking at the backdrop of the world.

Johnny didn't react, nor respond. He just sat down next to raccoon, staring into the backdrop as well. "I haven't been to Homeworld on a while," his voice was calm, sounding like he was reaching out to him. "How's training there like?"

What? Why was he wondering about Homeworld? "It was my home," Jackson immediately said. He would leave it at that, the mission needed to go on. They spent enough time talking. But as he looked at his leader, his eyebrow was arched. It was as if to say 'is that the truth?'

Jackson took a moment to stay on the rock, gazing at the world. He let his mind flow, letting his thoughts run freely through his moment. Because in that moment--he felt like someone supported him. With a deep breath, he talked again. "Actually...it was scary..." It felt saying this about Homeworld. But he let it spill, he let his feelings about his brutal training, his leaders' words of discouragement, and the day...the day he left Homeworld for good.

By the end of his words, he had felt liquid spilling from his eyes. Tears, he believe they were. Expressed in states of sadness and failure. Jackson dug his paws into the ground, looking down. He sat still, silently weeping to himself, as he tried to calm himself. He can't believe he just disowned his planet, his home like that!

He felt Johnny's hand meet his, and looked at him. No expression of annoyance, or disgust at his pitiful performance. Just...tender. 

It felt odd, having a leader that cared for you. But there he was, comforting him.

"Y'know, Jackson, you aren't a failure," he whispered, looking into his eyes. "You've improved a lot since we met!" He put on a sweet smile, thinking back to their training together. "And when we...when we fused..." He exhaled, looking into the backdrop of the world as well. This began to perk the interest of the raccoon. "I felt like...everything."

Then it was quiet. The two looked into the world together, feeling like they were the only ones in the world. They scooted closer to each other, hands slowly intertwining. Then, they were only centimeters apart. Nothing interrupted them. No chaos, no destruction, no stress. Only them--the feelings of fondness in the air. 

The two looked at each other, slowly smiling. Their faces attracted towards each other, slowly growing closer. It felt as if they would meet, and they would be one. Their thoughts scattered in pieces when they both heard an ear-shattering BOOM from above!

Looking up, they saw a gigantic carnelian cicada towering over them, glaring at its newfound prey.

In a state of panic, Johnny shielded Jackson, summoning his microphone. "Get down!" he quickly commanded. Staying low, the raccoon summoned his staff, prepared to cover his leader.

And then, the two attacked. In a choreographed fashion, the two began to attempt to take down the monster. In a case of attack, Johnny would rope its legs, and Jackson would strike. In a case of defense, Johnny would swipe away any attacks and Jackson would reflect with his staff.

It started out pretty well, but soon the cicada couldn't be stopped. Its battle system grew more reflexive, snatching away at any microphone cords, flapping away at any staff attack. But the two made more plans, and the cicada made more attacks.

But for a split-second, the cicada found a weakness. As Johnny was trying to round it up, it snapped the cord in-between it's legs, then threw it against the ground, along with him.

"JOHNNY!" Seeing him fly, Jackson had distracted himself from the dance of attack, immediately rushing over to him. "Johnny, are you okay?!" The words flew out rapidly, in a state of terrified care. 

The gorilla looked up, in a bit of pain. He tried to sit up, but winced in pain. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine..."

Jackson looked over him in concern, but looked back at the cicada closing in on him. A million thoughts ran in his mind. There they were, in the middle of a monster's view, about to be killed. All by a single wrong move. If he hadn't hurried over, he could stun the cicada. Or if he was able to deflect the attack, he could've saved him.

Only thoughts had filled his mind, but no actions. Nothing, he had nothing. He looked at the injured Johnny to the towering cicada, and only stayed still in panic. He was freaking out. This was over, this was over, this was over. 

Then, he thought over what happened right before this happened. Their conversation. The moment when they let their mission seep away from the world for a second, just so they could calm down. The feeling of someone caring for you, who protected you, and you cherished your life. 

Finally, an action arose through his body. He brought his face to Johnny's, matching lips. 

"Jackson-" Johnny's mutter was interrupted by the touch of their lips. And like before, it felt like time stopped and they were the only ones in the world. The two gave into the kiss, with sheer passion. It had only happened for a moment, but it felt like an eternity.

And when they were brought back to real life, they were one.

Pyrope stood, replacing the two gems that laid. With a confident grin plastered on his face and a stance of glory, he was ready to fight.

"Hel-LO, CARNELIAN KINDERGARTEN!" He proclaimed, bursting with energy. "My name's Pyrope, and you, my kind sir, are about to get an front seat to the BIG SHOW!" His words were followed by the summoning of Johnny's mic and Jackson's staff. Putting them together, they formed a pair of nun-chucks. Facing the cicada with pride, he proceeded to take it down.

As always with fusion, the two acted in sync. They fought together, defended together, and finished the cicada off as one. But this time--they had fury. They had passion. They let themselves flow with each other, like they could do this at the drop of a hat. This time, they were happy when they fused. 

Not just as a fusion, but as each other. They were satisfied that they fused.

The battle had become a lot easier this time. Their power was doubled, as was their mind. And with the swipe of their weapon, they ended up shattering the cicada's cracked gemstone. 

The two unfused, this time calm. They felt a bit shocked still, but felt mostly...happy.

"That was..."

"Everything..." Jackson finished his partner's sentence, echoing the past statement. 

They glanced at the carnelian shards, then at each other, smiling a bit. 

"Well," Johnny said. "You did it--you broke a dumb rock." 

Jackson snickered a bit in joy. "We broke a dumb rock." Gathering the gem shards, the two began to walk out of the abandoned kindergarten, hand in hand.

\---

"You FUSED WITH HIM?" The bird had been plaguing him with questions since they came back. Jackson looked at her, a bit annoyed at the many questions, nodding quietly. A wide grin plastered her face. "Guys- Jackson fused with Johnny!" She squealed over to the rest of the team, causing him to sputter a bit, trying to get her to shut up.

"Really?" Cassidy ran over, curious, followed by Gracie. "How was it?" She asked.

"It..It was fine..." Jackson grumbled, placing his face in his hands, embarrassed. 

Audrey snickered a bit. "Fine? You've been a nervous wreck over him since we started. Now you two fuse and it's just FINE?" She pestered him some more. He was about to open his mouth to retort, when he felt a small tug on his leg. Looking down, he saw Gracie. 

"Mr. Jackson?" She began, sapphire eyes twinkling with innocence. "Do you love Mr. Johnny?"

With that question, Jackson froze up. He tried to talk, but most of his words came out in small clusters. He heard Cassidy stifle a laugh in her paw, and Audrey trying to keep her giggles under control in her wing. 

With a sigh, Jackson shook his head. "No, Gracie, I don't love Johnny..." He replied calmly, slightly glaring at the cat and bird. "He's just a...a great leader."

A chortle came out from Audrey. "'A great leader," she added quotation marks in mockery. "Yeah...if you say so."

"Can you guys please just leave me alone?" Jacksons asked, growing more irritated. Cassidy nodded in understanding, grabbing the two other gems by the wrists.

"Come on, guys. I think Jackson needs some time to rest..." She said. The two gems followed her out the room, with Audrey making a kissy face with her beak.

Slightly grimacing, Jackson laid down, glad he had privacy. And then he thought in silence. He counted the marking on his wall, recalling the events of the day, of his first mission. And unlike the other thoughts, he let it be. Only one question filled his mind.

Did he love Johnny? 

Before today, he was afraid he only saw him as a mentor. Like he was a tool, when he knew he was so much more. It felt odd to acknowledge a gem that would've been executed at home. 

There was something he provided that Homeworld could never give. Care. The two cared about each other, more than just mentor and student. More than just fusing partners. 

He thought over it for a few more minutes, before he came to a conclusion. With a smile, he drifted off to sleep, the answer in his mind.

Yes. Yes he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what to write here
> 
> Just shoutout to aqua


	4. A Helpless Epilouge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They know what fusion is now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this is the end....
> 
> Enjoy! :)

"Where are you bringin' me?" Johnny asked the giggling raccoon, pulling him away from the lobby. Another mission well done--they had just come back and it was late at night. He was about to sleep when a rush of red grabbed him by the wrist in a flurry.

"Oh, you'll see!" Jackson whispered replied between laughs. Johnny didn't respond, letting the raccoon take him wherever. After a few minutes directing through the theatre, he stopped and led him to a room.

It was empty, quiet, the only light being the sparkling moon shining through the windows. The only thing there was a lone record player, needle risen up, waiting to be played.

Johnny looked around in a bit of surprise. Noticing his face, Jackson talked first.

"Well, it's been a long time since we first fused," He explained, mentally counting over the marks on his wall. "And this is the room where it happened," he smiled.

His partner pointed to the record player. "And the-"

"Oh, Buster let me borrow it for the time being," he said, going over to push the needle on the record, letting it play. A skippy, pop melody erupted from the machine. Bouncing to the beat, Jackson grabbed Johnny's hands, inviting him to dance with the beat. "I believe this is called 'music'?" He playfully asked as the lyrics kicked in.

Johnny nodded, letting himself dance with him. The two skipped around the room, smiling to each other as the music played. At first, it was just the two doing some made-up choreography together, but this time it was a lively mix of jumps and pops. They were as alive as the music.

The two remembered the night Pyrope had formed again. The feeling of whimsy and grace that fled through their bodies--all in the form of one. 

It was here once again, but now in the form of two, equally matching him. Skipping with passionate steps, holding each other in their arms as the danced the night away with the same confidence Pyrope held for both of them.

Like that night, they made a mistake. This time, there was no mistakes. After a few choruses, Jackson grabbed Johnny by his collar, bringing him into himself, like that one night. But this time, a kiss was given right before they formed Pyrope.

And like before, Pyrope gave off a gleam of glory, letting the two dance as one. In love and emotion.

"Helpless~" Escaped Pyrope's voice in a high tone as he danced around the room like it was his stage. He let the moonlight touch his skin, embracing it. He loved this. They loved this.

Soon, the song ended, and the two unfused. But they were still engaged in each other, foreheads touching. They looked up at each other and smiled.

"I love 'ya," Johnny whispered.

"Love you too," Jackson replied, reaching up to bring him into another kiss. It felt nice to say that with confidence. 

Like always, thoughts ran through their heads. But only a few had risen above the rest. 

Johnny saw past the weak, powerless Rhodolite when they first met.

Jackson looked past the convicted, runaway Onyx when they first fused.

Both saw past fusion as forbidden, and both saw Pyrope as what he was.

He was love, as was them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over, isn't it?

**Author's Note:**

> i'm probably gonna write more about this (stay tuned)
> 
> (pyrope would so be voiced by khray payton)
> 
> Audrey (Ruby Birb) belongs to Leia "The Knife" Meme
> 
> Cassidy belongs to elanafml


End file.
